Serve ’em up!
F R E S H
C A L I F O R N I A
G R A P E S
F O R
F O O D S E RV I C E
Menu Concepts • Dining Trends • Handling Tips • Nutrition Update
Good Taste
What do customers want when they
dine out? More taste, more vitality,
more color, more fun, more value and
just total satisfaction – especially
Grapes always pay off
when they see the check!
What do fresh grapes from California
provide? All that and more.
Consumers in nearly every demographic
category – age, gender, income and ethnicity –
love grapes. They love them as a snack, as a
side, and as an ingredient in sandwiches,
salads and entrées.
For foodservice pros, that’s great news,
because grapes also fit your needs:
Excellent supply: Fresh grapes from
California are available nearly all year –
Pumpkin Ravioli with Grapes in Sage Butter Sauce
Everyone loves fresh California grapes*
Based on household income:
from May through January.
Always ripe: There’s no guessing with
grapes. They’re always shipped ready to use.
$20-30,000
84%
Dependable, first-rate quality: Fresh grapes
$30-45,000
87%
consistently provide juicy flavor and a crisp
$45-60,000
87%
texture. Grapes also come in three vibrant
$60-85,000
85%
varietal colors – bright greens, stunning reds
$85,000+
88%
and luscious blue-blacks. Any varietal will add
a touch of class and/or a sense of fun to the plate.
Age of children in the household:
Children younger than 6
92%
Children 6-12
91%
Children 13-17
90%
No Children
81%
Education based:
Versatility: In the following pages, you’ll find
lots of fresh ideas on how to use grapes during
all day parts.
Keep well, naturally: When handled properly
(see page 14), grapes can be kept in prime
High school or less
80%
Some college
81%
condition for nearly two weeks.
College graduate
88%
Value: Combined with their excellent supply,
*Statistics based on grape purchase patterns in the U.S. and
Canada, Fleishman-Hillard Research, 2006
consistent quality, versatility and wide-spread
popularity, fresh grapes from California offer
considerable bang for the buck.
Bottom line? Pick grapes!
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World Flavors
From hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza
to Tex-Mex, Pan-Asian, and Creole,
American and Canadian cooks like to
borrow from the old and invent the
new. We also mix and match, and pick
and choose whatever fits our
customers’ wants and needs today.
Cuisine goes global with grapes
Add halved grapes to Vietnamese-style
spring rolls or stuff grapes in a Cantonesestyle pork bun.
You can use any of these wrap fillings for pita
bread or traditional sandwiches, too.
Try a chicken Waldorf salad wrap with
Offer grapes, veggies and cooked meats to
colorful red grape halves.
dip in a spicy peanut sauce fondue.
A vegetarian wrap with cream
cheese and veggies is much more
interesting with grapes.
Little Plates
How about pine nuts, salami,
Seen on many menus, “little plates” is a term
roasted red pepper and juicy
that serves to draw attention to smaller
grapes for an Italian wrap?
portions and the range of dining options
Curried chicken, almonds and
available to customers. The idea comes from
grapes were made to be wrapped
the tradition of “tapas” from Spain, “mezze”
together. It’s a complete harmony
from the Eastern Mediterranean, dim sum
of flavors.
from China, bistro dishes from France and
Green Grape and Tomatillo Salsa
Yield: 2 cups
8 oz. tomatillos, husked and rinsed (about 5-8 tomatillos)
1 3/4 cups California seedless green grapes,
separated and rinsed
2 Tbsp. cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Process all ingredients in food processor, pulsing until
chopped but still slightly coarse in texture. Serve with chips
for dipping or as a topping for grilled chicken or seafood.
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Italy, smorgasbord from Sweden – nearly
Go Latin with this wrap: sliced
every cuisine seems to have its version of
turkey, shredded lettuce, cabbage
“a little taste of this and that.”
and grapes in a creamy lime
Try creating tempting grape tapas:
dressing and wrapped into a
feature them “as is” using three different-
tortilla spread with molé sauce.
color clusters paired with an assortment of
or chicken Caesar salad; combine them with
Sides with Grains
and Grapes
spaghettini, walnut oil, herbs and bay shrimp;
Healthy, flavorful sides featuring
sugar-frost or dip them in chocolate for a
grapes and grains will appeal to
sweet finish.
those who prefer an alternative
interesting cheeses; toss into a small Greek
Grape and Chicken Salad Wrap
Grape clusters can add color and juicy
freshness to a mezze meal of hummus, pita
to fries or a baked potato.
A super healthy side featuring bulgur or
bread and sliced cucumbers, or a little plate
The World of Wraps
wild rice, kale and green grapes is packed
of grilled kebobs using lamb or beef cubes
Wraps have been called “burritos with
with fiber and antioxidants. Terrific with
interspersed with whole grapes.
Make a new-fangled salsa appetizer
with corn chips (blue corn or red chili-
frequent flier miles.” Adding grapes to
wraps is a new way to rack up “points of
distinction” for your menu.
grilled fish.
Fragrant white or brown basmati rice
fluffed with roasted grapes, ginger and basil
flavored) and a green grape tomatillo salsa.
makes a nice companion for sliced marinated
Very attractive and very delicious.
flank steak or teriyaki chicken.
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turkey and more turkey – this may be the
best grape and poultry combo of all. Add
more texture and flavors to turkey and grape
salads using other fruits, such as apples, pears,
plums or dried apricots. Toss in nuts, such as
glazed pecans, toasted hazelnuts or crunchy
peanuts. Finish the salad with a choice of
balsamic vinegar – red or white – and olive
oil, honey mustard, ranch or Caesar dressings.
Grapes and turkey are truly a dynamic duo.
And don’t forget grapes and beef: go
Thai-style with slices of medium rare roast
beef and grapes tossed in a dressing of garlic,
lime juice, sesame oil, chilies and basil.
Make fruit front and center with a black
berry salad (blue-black grapes, blackberries
and marionberries) in a lavender-scented
dressing. Serve with a Croque Monsieur for
a French-inspired lunch.
Cajun or Creole: make a New Orleans
special with greens, prawns, spiced rice and
Yield: 4 servings
grapes. Add a little tasso ham for Cajun
4 cups washed fresh spinach
authenticity.
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled
and then diced
Tried and Trues
Salads in the Spotlight
Grapes add
star appeal
Fresh grapes are a natural in salads.
Grapes and poultry, whether chicken,
turkey or duck, seem made for each other:
Cubed chunks of teriyaki chicken, grapes,
Their ability to get along famously
and rings of mini sweet peppers in a rice-
with other ingredients, especially
wine vinaigrette could be your next Asian
greens of all kinds, will inspire your
Chicken Salad of the Month.
creativity and encourage repeat
business from diners who consider
salads a staple.
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Signature Entrée Salads
Sliced duck and halved grapes on mixed
greens with a pomegranate dressing – very
chic and an easy sell to adventurous eaters.
Roast turkey, smoked turkey, Italian-style
Asian Spinach and Grape Salad
Take your favorite tuna salad and toss some
1 cup peeled, seeded cucumber, in half-inch
chunks
grapes in the mix for a burst of flavor and a
1 cup green California seedless grapes, halved
welcome spot of color.
1/2 cup frozen shelled soybeans (edamame),
thawed
A Niçoise-style or other arranged salad
could always use some well-placed grapes for a
bonus bite or a new look.
Add a layer of grapes to a standard Cobb.
Distinguish your grilled chicken Caesar
salad with the addition of grapes.
Chop, chop: revitalize this favorite with
grape halves in all three colors.
Louie, Louie: Add grapes to a crab,
shrimp and scallop salad with iceberg lettuce
for a seafood extravaganza.
Sweet ginger dressing:
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 clove fresh garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. minced candied ginger
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a
blender and mix until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, chicken,
cucumber, grapes and soybeans. Toss with the
dressing and add salt and pepper if desired.
Serve immediately.
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Saucy and Bold Entrées
Grapes elevate the plate
Fresh grapes add tang, color and sweet
flavors to warm sauces for meat, fish
and poultry. The same is true for fresh
fruit salsas, seafood stuffings and
entrée salads (see pages 5 and 6). And,
when customers peruse the menu for
your versions of pasta, the addition
of fresh grapes will set the dish apart
from the ho-hum and the humdrum.
Red grapes, herbs, broth and red wine
create a low-fat, savory and satisfying
Yield: 6 servings
sauce for lean cuts of meat.
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Mango, papaya, grape and jalapeño salsa
1 cup chopped onions
with lime juice enhances the taste and
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
appearance of grilled white fish such as
1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
snapper, swordfish, or halibut.
3/4 cup chicken broth
Scallops, prawns, grapes and red, green
and yellow peppers grilled with your favorite
1-2 Tbsp. green curry paste
marinade make skewers exponentially more
1 1/2 pounds medium (size 26-30) prawns,
peeled and deveined
inviting.
1 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla)
Never make a California Curry without
adding the California part: grapes.
Stuff that delicate but plain-looking sole
with crab meat and grapes for a bold
menu debut.
Pasta made more bella: Prosciutto,
green grapes, garlic and Parmesan over fresh
fettuccine – what could be more classically
simple, yet so fresh and flavorful?
Phad Thai to die for: Yes, grapes go with
tofu and noodles and mingle well with any
Stuffed Sole Fillet with Crab and Grapes
Thai Prawn Curry with Grapes
and Fresh Basil
number of stars.
1 1/2 cups red California seedless grapes, halved
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 cups cooked basmati rice
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add
onions and ginger and cook until onions are
softened, about four minutes. Add coconut milk
and chicken broth and bring to a simmer; cook
uncovered until slightly thickened, about four
minutes. Whisk in curry paste. Add prawns and fish
sauce and cook just until prawns are opaque in
center, about three minutes. Remove from heat;
stir in grapes, lime juice and basil. Serve with rice.
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From Beginning
to End
Desserts and drinks
go better with grapes
Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dessert:
that’s the ticket before or after the
theatre, movie or concert. Combined
with a salad and an entrée for a fullcourse meal, this trio of extras makes
small checks grow larger.
Fresh grapes from California keep spirits
up when used in blended (not stirred) cocktails
and mocktails. Call them “infusions,” if you
White Grape Crush Cocktail
like, for signature drinks.
Grape clusters are a natural garnish for a
California roll.
Grapes with melted cheese and herbs
on crostini or bruschetta are both savory
and filling.
Butter lettuce cups with grapes and
Italian, Thai, or Vietnamese fillings are full
of great tastes and textures, and diners can
roll them up and eat them with their hands.
Creamy, New York-style cheesecake with
chocolate-dipped grapes is anything but
ordinary. Grapes are the reliable and desirable
alternative to the usual choice of strawberries.
Deep-purple grape sorbet perks up the
palate right before that pre-concert shot of
espresso or cappuccino.
Madeleines and grapes layered with
whipped cream, sabayon or vanilla custard
Chocolate-Dipped Grapes
make a sophisticated trifle.
Kids
Love Grapes
“No fries please”
Kids’ Menus: Who says kids’ menus have
to talk down to parents? Help parents be
smart and keep kids happy by adding the
“grape choice.”
Stats on childhood obesity aren’t getting
better and parents, doctors and children
themselves want tasty alternatives to high-fat
and over-processed foods. Kids will choose
grapes if they are offered on menus, and
concerned parents, if need be, will pay any
extra cost.
When fruit is added to a kids’ menu,
specify grapes and use grape clip art to
decorate the selection. Why? Because kids
really do love grapes and are more inclined
to choose the fruit option if they perceive
or read “comes with grapes.”
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Don’t forget to include grapes in desserts:
grapes in Jell-O,® grapes and nuts over ice
cream, parfaits with grapes and a trio of three
colors of frozen grapes can all be a delicious
end to a meal for any kid – old or young.
Schools and Universities: Students want
to eat healthy – at least some of the time!
Help hungry learners turn from high-fat chips
and low-nutrition candy by providing grapes
as a healthy snack or fruit choice.
Offer take-away “study snack packs”
featuring grapes, carrots with dip, protein
bars or cheese and crackers, and a “smart”
beverage.
Serve grapes of different colors in salad
bars.
Include grapes in tuna and chicken salad
sandwiches.
For events and celebrations, create singleserve grapes using paper cupcake liners.
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Healthy
Fruit Facts
Grapes are very, very good for you.
Consumers love grapes, but sometimes
may help combat certain types of cancer,
wonder “Can food this delicious be
heart disease, and several other age-related
healthy as well?” The answer is “yes.”
Communicating the health and
diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
nutritional benefits of grapes in a
Grape and Green Tea Smoothie
foodservice setting is simple; just
Yield: 1 serving
state the facts when they are applicable
to your operation.
A 3/4-cup serving of grapes contains just
90 calories, with no cholesterol or fat.
Grapes contain potassium, as well as some
calcium, vitamin C and fiber.
For those who want or need to consume a
low-carb diet, grapes are considered a low
1 cup green grapes, rinsed
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup diced pineapple
1/2 cup ice cubes
2 tsp. sweetened green tea powder
Puree all ingredients in blender until
smooth. If green tea powder is unavailable,
substitute ½ cup brewed and cooled green
tea sweetened with 1 tsp. sugar.
glycemic index food.
Some of your customers are likely to have
health issues, including heart disease,
chiefly in the skins of grapes. It is gaining
diabetes, and arthritis. A great many studies
notoriety for its anti-inflammatory properties
have been conducted about the benefits of
and has been linked to the prevention of
grapes in connection with these conditions.
specific types of cancer, the reduction of heart
Grapes are rich in plant compounds known
as phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are
disease, and an array of other health issues.
Foods, like the featured Grape and Green Tea
biologically active substances that appear to
Smoothie, are a great offering for breakfast
help fight disease and enhance our health.
or a mid-morning or afternoon “coffee break.”
Grape phytonutrients are well-known
antioxidants that can protect cells from
Grape and Green Tea Smoothie
Resveratrol is a key phytonutrient found
free radical damage. These antioxidants
Tasty and loaded with antioxidants, this
wake-up or pick-me-up beverage doesn’t
give you the caffeine jag jitters.
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To Go Means
“Go Fast”
Grapes define the times
Just a Little TLC
Grape handling
and storage tips
Boxes of grapes, known as lugs, can be
stacked, but don’t apply pressure. Please allow
for adequate air circulation between lugs.
Fresh California grapes don’t ask
The natural, powdery coating on grapes is
“bloom.” Bloom keeps grapes fresher longer.
for much, but they give a lot in
return. Here are a few tips to help
Grapes should be refrigerated between
32 and 36º F (0 and 2º C), with relative humidity
you purchase, store and serve great
between 80 and 90%.
grapes every time.
Always store grapes unwashed.
The best grapes arrive with green,
pliable stems and plump berries (grapes
Remember when time went by
Rinse grapes just prior to serving or using
are technically berries of the grape vine).
in a recipe. The bloom should still be visible.
slowly? Of course not! Who has time
to reminisce? We need lunch. Now.
Or perhaps sooner.
We all take fast food seriously – we must,
Seasonal Availability
GREENS
Sugraone
as fast a food as you can get and they’re
Thompson Seedless
drive-through is more popular than sit-down,
especially in salads. Don’t be left behind by a
fresh trend that’s here to stay. Go with grapes.
Hands down, grapes in a clamshell to grab
and go for lunch or a snack could be one of
your most popular items. All you have to do is
offer them and they’ll effortlessly add revenue
JUN
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sep
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MAY
JUN
JUL
aug
sep
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Jan
MAY
JUN
JUL
aug
sep
oct
nov
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Jan
Perlette
because we eat a lot of it. Grapes are about
popping up everywhere in places where
MAY
Calmeria
Princess
REDS
Flame Seedless
Red Globe
Ruby Seedless
Christmas Rose
Rouge
Crimson Seedless
for your restaurant, cafeteria, sandwich shop
or catering operation. You don’t have to fuss
BLUE-BLACKS
with “to go” grapes either: grapes hold well
Beauty Seedless
and they don’t brown like many cut fruits.
Fantasy Seedless
Don’t forget that grapes in sandwiches,
Autumn Royal
wraps and salads help turn these familiar
Niabell
Sugrathirteen
foods into signature specials all your own.
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www.freshCaliforniagrapes.com
CALIFORNIA TABLE GRAPE COMMISSION
392 West Fallbrook, Suite 101 / Fresno, California 93711-6150
TEL 559.447.8350 FAX 559.447.9184